1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device for retaining a circuit board, such as a computer main board, on a support panel, and in particular to a circuit board retainer allowing quick and ready mounting of the circuit board to the support panel.
2. The Prior Art
Personal computers comprise a main board fixed inside an enclosure. A support panel is used to support and fix the main board in the enclosure. The most straightforward manner to fix the main board to the support panel is bolts. Fixing a circuit board to a support panel by bolts, however, is a laborious and time-consuming process for many bolts are needed to effectively secure the main board on the support panel.
Taiwan Patent Application No. 82208473 and US Pat. No. 5,671,124 disclose a retainer for retaining a main board in an enclosure. A bolt is still required for securing the main board to the retainer. Taiwan Patent Application No. 84211189 discloses a retainer for retaining a circuit board in an enclosure. An L-shaped projection is formed on the retainer for engaging and securing a circuit board. The L-shaped projection, however, is not capable to soundly fix the circuit board causing poor or ineffective grounding of the circuit board.
Another example of a circuit board retainer is disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 81212404 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,125. FIG. 7 of the attached drawings shows a circuit board retainer 99 disclosed in these patents for retaining a circuit board 130 on a support panel 150. The circuit board retainer 99 comprises a base plate 140 and two side plates 100, 120 extending from the base plate 140. An offset section 151 is formed on the support panel 150 defining a groove therebetween for slidably receiving side projections of the base plate 140 thereby retaining the retainer on the support panel 150. The side plates 100, 120 are spaced from each other and are made resilient for allowing the side plates 100, 120 to be inserted into a corresponding hole 131 defined in the circuit board 130. Notches 101, 121 are defined in opposite edges of each side plate 100, 120 whereby when the side plates 100, 120 are inserted into the hole 131, the resiliency thereof forces the notches 101, 121 to engage with a circumferential edge of the hole 131 thereby securing the circuit board 130 to the retainer 99.
In actual operation, to insert the side plates 100, 120 into the hole 131 requires manually compressing the side plates 100, 120. It would be a difficult job for a user to simultaneously handle three or more such retainers in mounting the circuit board to the retainers.
It is thus desired to provide a circuit board retainer for securing a circuit board to a support panel that overcomes the above problems.